BEING CATHOLIC

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BEING CATHOLIC AND CHRISTIAN
Faith and Salvation
Part 1a Transmission of Authoritative
Doctrine and Apostolic Confessions of Faith
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The Transmission of Authoritative Doctrine
The historicity and authenticity of the Bible
text is not a problem among Christians today.
Catholic Christians affirm that the Bible is an
historical document and that the text we possess
today is authentic. It is apparent from the
content of the Bible as an historical document
that matters of importance were transmitted
among the early Christians.
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Jude 3 Beloved, although I was making every
effort to write to you about our common
salvation, I now feel a need to write to
encourage you to contend for the faith that was
once for all handed down to the holy ones. Jude
20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up in
your most holy faith pray in the holy
Spirit. 2 Timothy 113 Take as your norm the
sound words that you heard from me, in the
faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
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2 Timothy
Jude
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2 Timothy 43 For the time will come when
people will not tolerate sound doctrine but,
following their own desires and insatiable
curiosity, will accumulate teachers. Titus 19
...holding fast to the true message as taught
so that he will be able both to exhort with
sound doctrine and to refute opponents. 1
Timothy 620 ... guard what has been entrusted
to you.
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1 Timothy Titus
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2 Timothy 114 Guard this rich trust with the
help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us.
1 Timothy 46 If you will give these
instructions to the brothers, you will be a
good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the
words of the faith and of the sound teaching
you have followed. Hebrews 31 Therefore
... reflect on Jesus, the apostle and high priest
of our confession, Hebrews 414 ... let us
hold fast to our confession.
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Hebrews
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Hebrews 1023 Let us hold unwaveringly to our
confession that gives us hope, for he who made
the promise is trustworthy. Philippians
215-16 ...that you may be blameless and
innocent ... as you hold on to the word of
life. Acts 520 Go ... and tell the people
everything about this life. 1 John 224 Let
what you heard from the beginning remain in you.
If what you heard from the beginning remains in
you, then you will remain in the Son and in the
Father.
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Hebrews
Philippians
Acts of the Apostles
1 John
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2 Thessalonians 215 Therefore, brothers, stand
firm and hold fast to the traditions that you
were taught, either by an oral statement or by
a letter of ours. Romans 617 But thanks be
to God that, although you were once slaves of
sin, you have become obedient from the heart to
the pattern of teaching to which you were
entrusted. 1 Corinthians 1123 For I
received from the Lord what I also handed on to
you .
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Romans 1 Corinthians
2 Thessalonians
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1 Corinthians 153 For I handed on to you as of
first importance what I also received ...
Paul declares specifically what it is he
preaches. It is a gospel (the Greek
euaggelion, means good news). Galatians 22
I went up in accord with a revelation, and I
presented to them the gospel that I preach to
the Gentiles ... Romans 216 . . . on the day
when, according to my gospel, God will judge
people's hidden works through Christ.
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1 Corinthians Galatians Romans
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Romans 1625 Now to him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of
Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of
the mystery kept secret for long ages . 1
Corinthians 151 Now I am reminding you,
brothers, of the gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also
stand.
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Romans
1 Corinthians
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For Paul, the content of the preaching is Jesus
Christ. Romans 1625 Now to him who can
strengthen you, according to my gospel and the
proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the
revelation of the mystery kept secret for long
ages 1 Corinthians 121 For since in the
wisdom of God the world did not come to know
God through wisdom, it was the will of God
through the foolishness of the proclamation to
save those who have faith.
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Romans
1 Corinthians
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Paul also writes of the fruit of the tradition
which he preaches ... faith. Colossians 27
. . . rooted in him and built upon him and
established in the faith as you were taught ...
Galatians 123 They (the people of Syria and
Cilicia) only kept hearing that the one who
once was persecuting us is now preaching the
faith he once tried to destroy. Ephesians 45
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism
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Colossians Ephesians
Galatians
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Paul finally writes of the content of the
doctrine, the tradition he preaches the word
of God or the word of the Lord. 1
Thessalonians 16 And you became imitators of
us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great
affliction, with joy from the holy Spirit, 2
Thessalonians 31 Finally, brothers, pray for
us, so that the word of the Lord may speed
forward and be glorified, as it did among you,
1 Corinthians 1436 Did the word of God go
forth from you? Or has it come to you alone?
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1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians
1 Corinthians
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Galatians 66 One who is being instructed in
the word should share all good things with his
instructor. Philippians 114 ... the majority
of the brothers, having taken encouragement in
the Lord from my imprisonment, dare more than
ever to proclaim the word fearlessly.
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Galatians
Philippians
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Apostolic Confessions of Faith
Following the process of the apostolic preaching
and the response of faith, the writers of the
New Testament expressed the essential belief
elements of that faith in confessions of faith
for the early Church. 1 Corinthians 123 And
no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the
holy Spirit. Romans 109 For, if you
confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved. Philippians 211
... every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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Colossians 26 So, as you received Christ Jesus
the Lord, walk in him, 1 John 222 Who is the
liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
1 John 415 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus
is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in
God.
Mark 829 But who do you say that I
am? Peter said to him in reply, You are
the Messiah.
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1 John 55 Who is the victor over the world but
the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of
God? Hebrews 414 Therefore, since we have a
great high priest who has passed through the
heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold
fast to our confession.
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In other New Testament writings, increasingly
more detailed confessions of faith are found.
1 Corinthians 153-7 For I handed on to you
as of first importance what I also received
that Christ died for our sins in accordance
with the scriptures that he was buried
that he was raised on the third day in
accordance with the scriptures that he
appeared to Kephas, then to the Twelve. After
that, he appeared to more than five hundred
brothers at once, ... After that he appeared
to James, then to all the apostles.
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Romans 13-5 The gospel about his Son,
descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the spirit of holiness through
resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ
our Lord. Through him we have received the
grace of apostleship.
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1 Peter 318-22 For Christ also suffered for
sins once, the righteous for the sake of the
unrighteous, that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to
life in the spirit. In it he also went to
preach to the spirits in prison, ... through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone
into heaven and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to
him.
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1 Timothy 316 Who was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels,
proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in
throughout the world, taken up in glory.
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Post-Apostolic Confessions of Faith
Ultimately, the Apostolic and post-Apostolic
Church developed finished statements of Christian
beliefs known as creeds. The Apostles
Creed This creed was not composed by the Apostles
as it might be assumed by the title. The creed
has a legitimate claim to its title insofar as
all articles are found in theological formulas
current around 100 AD, between the Apostolic
Period and the beginning of the Post-Apostolic
Period
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Elements found in the Interrogatory Creed of
Hippolytus (c. 215 AD) Do you believe in God
the Father All Governing? Do you believe in
Christ Jesus, the Son of God, Who was begotten
by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary, Who
was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died
(and was buried) and rose the third day living
from the dead, and ascended into the heavens,
and sat down on the right hand of the Father,
and will come to judge the living and the dead?
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, in the holy
Church and in he resurrection of the body?
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Elements found in the Creed of Marcellus (340
AD) I believe in God, All Governing And in
Christ Jesus His only begotten Son, our Lord,
Who was begotten of the Holy Spirit and the
Virgin Mary, Who was crucified under Pontius
Pilate and buried, Who rose from the dead on
the third day, ascending to the heavens and
taking His seat at the Father's right hand,
whence He shall come to judge both the living
and the dead And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Church, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, life everlasting.
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Elements found in the Creed of Rufinus (c. 404
AD) I believe in God the Father almighty,
invisible and impassable And in Christ Jesus,
His only Son, our Lord, Who was born by the
Holy Spirit from Mary the Virgin, crucified under
Pontius Pilate and buried. He descended to hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead,
He ascended to heaven, there He sits at the
Father's right hand and from whence He will come
to judge both living and dead And I believe in
the Holy Spirit, the holy Church, the forgiveness
of sins, the resurrection of this flesh.
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The present text of the Apostles Creed is dated
c. 700 AD I believe in God the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth. I believe in
Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was
conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and
born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was
buried. He descended to the dead. On the third
day he rose again. He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the
dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy
catholic Church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the
body, and life everlasting.
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The Nicene Creed The
development of this creed began with the
ecumenical Council of Nicea, 325. The creed was
principally written in opposition to the
heretic, Arius, who taught that Jesus was a
creature made by God not wholly equal to the
Father. The Creed in its final form was a
product of the Council of Constantinople, 381.
Council of Nicea 325
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Present text of
Nicene Creed (381) I believe in one God, the
Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and
earth, all that is, seen and unseen. I
believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son
of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God
from God, Light from Light, true God from true
God, begotten, not made, of one being with
the Father. Through him all things were made.
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For us and for our salvation he came down
from heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and
was made man. For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate he suffered death and
was buried. On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures he
ascended into heaven and is seated at the
right hand of the Father. He will come again in
glory to judge the living and the dead, and
his kingdom will have no end.
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I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the
giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and
the Son. With the Father and the Son he is
worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through
the Prophets. I believe in one holy catholic and
apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for
the forgiveness of sins. I look for the
resurrection of the dead, and the life of the
world to come.
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End of Being Catholic and Christian, Part Ia Go
to Being Catholic and Christian, Part Ib